Routine
Translated from Farsi to English
525 words from 1197 words
Translated from Farsi to English
525 words from 1197 words
Every day began at dawn with the call to prayer when the elder Hajji would knock on the boys' room doors and the basement stairway walls every five minutes, shouting like a train conductor, "Prayer, prayer." But besides Haj Khanum and her two elder sons, the rest would make up for the missed morning prayer later. After prayer, Haj Khanum would be busy preparing breakfast, ranging from butter, cheese, and jam that decorated the table, to the main bites of beans and porridge. Eggs were served every other day, but rice bread was an everyday affair. The hot rice bread that Haj Khanum baked in the black oven by the garden would stick to the oven wall in such a way that its aroma would reach the basement, even under the quilts pulled over the heads.
It didn’t stop at the rice bread. Haj Khanum would also bake meat bread in the mornings for the afternoon and night, taking as much time to set up the breakfast table as it did to clear it away. The dishes weren't Haj Khanum's responsibility anymore but were passed to the daughter-in-law, who, though not kissing hands, would scrub and peel her skin. By midday, Haj Khanum’s red hands and the daughter-in-law's peeled hands remained.
The elder Hajji wasn’t a military man, but he knew how to turn the house into a barracks. If he hinted at something once or twice, it became your duty. For example, when he repeatedly told his daughter-in-law, "Ammi, clean my shoes," she had to be on alert for when Hajji was about to leave so she could rush to clean and pair his shoes neatly in front of him. Hajji often went out under the pretense of shopping but would go for a stroll, returning by midday with full hands and a thousand complaints. These complaints usually left a pit in the stomach, as it was unclear who would be the target.
The shopping wasn’t for lunch or dinner but for the next day's cooking. Lunch was elaborate because the sons would return from the shop to eat and take a nap. The elaborate lunch meant an array of small and large dishes in the middle of the table that had to be washed, along with the pots on the stove that were as big as charity cauldrons. Serving lunch and dinner with this quality for 10-12 people was akin to running a five-star hotel, which Haj Khanum managed thanks to the woman who had married her stepson.
Afternoons were never without guests. Hajji liked people to come, sit, chat, drink tea, joke, and receive his advice and orders. He would sit under the window facing the yard, and the guests would sit to his left and right. Most guests stayed for dinner, which, although light and simple, was present.
After dinner, only the little boys had any energy left. They had only studied and eaten, and now they wanted to watch football, but Hajji would often send them to bed by hitting the TV with his slippers.
It was early February 1985 when Mr. Hamisheh Bahar came to Hajji’s house one afternoon...
It didn’t stop at the rice bread. Haj Khanum would also bake meat bread in the mornings for the afternoon and night, taking as much time to set up the breakfast table as it did to clear it away. The dishes weren't Haj Khanum's responsibility anymore but were passed to the daughter-in-law, who, though not kissing hands, would scrub and peel her skin. By midday, Haj Khanum’s red hands and the daughter-in-law's peeled hands remained.
The elder Hajji wasn’t a military man, but he knew how to turn the house into a barracks. If he hinted at something once or twice, it became your duty. For example, when he repeatedly told his daughter-in-law, "Ammi, clean my shoes," she had to be on alert for when Hajji was about to leave so she could rush to clean and pair his shoes neatly in front of him. Hajji often went out under the pretense of shopping but would go for a stroll, returning by midday with full hands and a thousand complaints. These complaints usually left a pit in the stomach, as it was unclear who would be the target.
The shopping wasn’t for lunch or dinner but for the next day's cooking. Lunch was elaborate because the sons would return from the shop to eat and take a nap. The elaborate lunch meant an array of small and large dishes in the middle of the table that had to be washed, along with the pots on the stove that were as big as charity cauldrons. Serving lunch and dinner with this quality for 10-12 people was akin to running a five-star hotel, which Haj Khanum managed thanks to the woman who had married her stepson.
Afternoons were never without guests. Hajji liked people to come, sit, chat, drink tea, joke, and receive his advice and orders. He would sit under the window facing the yard, and the guests would sit to his left and right. Most guests stayed for dinner, which, although light and simple, was present.
After dinner, only the little boys had any energy left. They had only studied and eaten, and now they wanted to watch football, but Hajji would often send them to bed by hitting the TV with his slippers.
It was early February 1985 when Mr. Hamisheh Bahar came to Hajji’s house one afternoon...